Cecil is one contented toad. He’s got a great little pond, plenty of bugs to eat, and his friends Sprout the frog, RayRay the lizard, Jeremy the worm, Reggie the fly, and Jeff the free-range hamster. But their peaceful life is about to be interrupted when Cecil is abducted by a hawk and, as he manages to escape (that whole “stinky” thing comes in handy…) he sees something even worse is headed their way. Will the friends come up with a plan to preserve their pond? Or will their happy life be gone forever?
The cartoon art is bold and vigorous with the various characters clearly marked. Cecil is chunky green and cream with bright orange spots, RayRay is a smooth purple, and bright pink Jeremy the worm expresses a wide range of emotions with his eyes and mouth. The simple backgrounds put the focus on the characters, who carry the story and humor. The panels are laid out clearly with broad white gutters and the text is a large, simple font. The focus on the characters and simple but amusing art fits in well with the funny storyline and the intended audience.
Paige Braddock, you had me at free-range hamster. I was feeling a little ho-hum about this story until Jeff came along. Animals struggling to defend their small world is a fairly common plot, and the art, while fun, isn’t particularly unique. I stifled a few mild giggles at Reggie the fly and his reincarnation. But when Cecil says “To the lair of the free-range hamster…” well, that grabbed me. As I continued reading the story, I found that although the plot and illustrations are simple, they’re full of subtle humor and jokes and, best of all, informational tidbits (I am a nonfiction junkie). Many of the facts that are melded into the text are expanded in short comics at the end of the story, like Cecil’s little problem with rocks, the reproductive habits of toads, and information about toads and earthworms.
The humor is occasionally a little gross, but never to the point of crudeness making this is a safe bet to recommend to more conservative families. The nonfiction aspect will appeal to teachers and parents as well, while elementary-age kids will thoroughly enjoy the kooky story and sly jokes. Kids will definitely be looking forward to more adventures of Stinky Cecil and his pond friends.
Stinky Cecil in Operation Pond Rescue, volume 1
by Paige Braddock
ISBN: 9781449457112
Andrews McMeel, 2,015
Publisher Age Rating: 7-12
